Friday, April 15, 2016

April 15, 2016 (NavyTimes)United
States Navy Destroyer USS Donald Cook operating in international waters in the
Baltic Sea experienced several close interactions by Russian aircraft on April
11 and 12. Russian pilots rattled nerves aboard the destroyer Donald Cook, buzzing
within yards of the ship in the Baltic Sea. Provocative, sure. But they weren't
a credible threat.

So concludes a retired Navy commanding officer, who reviewed
photos and videos from the run-ins on Monday and Tuesday, when unarmed Sukhoi
Su-24 fighters flew within 1,000 feet of the ship - once coming as close as 30
feet in what U.S. officials called "simulated attacks." On Monday, a
low-flying Russian Ka-27 Helix helicopter also appeared to take photos of the
ship. This was definitely provocative, but it doesn't amount to a threat, said
the retired frigate and cruiser CO.

"Well, we’re not at war with
Russia," Capt. Rick Hoffman said. "It would be one thing to be
operating and have a threatening attack profile from someone who might not
recognize me - that’s not the case here." If you have visual
identification of the jet, can see it isn't carrying weapons, and don't detect
any electronic emissions suggesting there was a missile lock on the ship,
there's nothing to be done. And ultimately, the rules of engagement put the CO
in charge of how to respond. "You don’t get to kill people just because
they’re being annoying,"

said Hoffman, who commanded frigate DeWert and
cruiser Hue City. Cruisers are the fleet's foremost air defense platform and
are tasked with guarding flattops from incoming threats.